Thursday, December 17, 2015

More GAP testing...

I also chrono'ed some defensive loads for the .45 GAP at the range on Tuesday.

Federal's 230gr HST turned in a chrono performance that helped explain why it was such a consistent round on paper:

LO: 865.9
HI: 903.2
AV: 887.1
ES: 37.34
SD: 9.94

That's match ammo consistency right there. Combine that with the proven 230gr HST projectile, and you can probably see why this would be the round I'd use for carry, were I to carry the GAP Glock.

Speer's 185gr Gold Dot was no slouch, either:

LO: 1052
HI: 1098
AV: 1076
ES: 45.27
SD: 14.79

The GDHP is another proven performer, and although I'm less of a fan of light-for-caliber bullets than I used to be, I'd carry it in a pinch.

On the other hand, we have the Magtech Guardian Gold 185gr JHP. When people ask why I don't recommend off-brand hollowpoints for defense usage, I'll point them to this test. Even before running the chono tests, the uneven nature of the ammo was apparent to the naked eye: Wildly varying thicknesses of the jacket plating on the projectiles, some with bare lead in the cavities and others with blobbily thick plating in there. The electronic eye of the chrono bore out what the human eye noticed:

LO: 899.7
HI: 1018
AV: 988.0
ES: 118.3
SD: 33.45

Almost a hundred and twenty feet-per-second difference between the fastest and slowest rounds of a ten-shot string. Also, that's a new record in my notebook for Standard Deviation in a centerfire round. It's only bettered by some cheap bulk rimfire. It's worse than that Sumbro 9mm Macedonian garbage.

As an added bonus, it had a bright orange-white flash that was distractingly noticeable on an overcast day. I'll bet it's spectacularly flashy at night.

After work on Wednesday, I stepped out on the range with a fifty-round box of Sellier & Bellot 230gr FMJ. The Glock continued to function with aplomb.

The Glock 37 has now fired 580 rounds since it was last cleaned or lubed, with one parts breakage. 1,420 rounds to go..